Switchboard



A. M. HAUBRICH. vSWITCHBOARD.

APPLICATION FILED Aue.13, I917.

1,356,622 Patented Oct. 26,1920.

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r ALEXANDER M. HAUB ICE,

' CARLSON TELEPHONE MANUFACTURING' 7 V-A conrone'rronsor NEW YORK; 1,356,622; a

To all whom it may concern;

V RICH, a citizen of theUnited States,residing at Chicago, in the-county of Cool; a d

State of Illinois, have invented'a' certain new and useful Improvement in Switchboards, of

which the following is a fulh'clear, concise,

and. exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification.

particularly to telephone switchboards, and

of lines or the stations thereof. In my prior Patent No. 828,848, 1 set forth a means'for accomplishing the aforesaid object. llhe present invention is an improvement over,

the disclosure of my'former patent as will be apparent fromthe description thereof which follows 1 I It has heretofore been thecustom to mark the face of the switchboard adjacent tothe 1 line terminal jacks thereof in a characteristic manner by pins having different colored heads,'or by depressions filled with palnts of difierent colors, each color corresponding to a certain operative condition ofithe line 'differently colored, and adaptable to be fastened to the face of theswitchboard by pins projectingthrough each group cram; line jack designations, thepieces being preferably fastened to' the face of the Iswitchboard bya single -double pointedtack. In

this way I am' enabled 'toapplyde'signations I illustrate my invention in which or substation, or instrument connected, to the line this being a particularly useful practice in connection with party lines to indi- I "cate the particular stations which are con y are trunked insteadi'of making the connection directly jatthei main'switchboardi By my invention? I amenabled to increase the nected to the line and their condition."

In my present invention I provideimeans to jacks placed very closely together in" the switchboard, and at;the."same timeeliminating the drilling .of many small holesj in the switchboard which weakens'the' structurejof i is an enlarged sect onalview through' the v j ber of-telephone lines connected thereto, and

in which the number of multiple jacks'is V V H v v p x "proved structure; "his; Fig.- 4 shows aside ver great; llstnrelly'inflerder theteaeh OF CHICAGO,

s S pecificati'onof Letterslatefit.

v tipli'ed. a

rumors, Assr'enon ToQrrHE smno' vmni s COMEANY, or. nocnnsrsmnnw Yomg, I

swrrcn oAnD.

I r V operator lmay 'be able' to reach one 6f the 1, Be it known that I, ALEXANDER M. HAUB- multiple jacks belonging'to each of the' tele-, phone l nes, the acks have necessarily" had I 7 -JPatented"oetgeafiezo; Application file d August 13,1917." seri ijNo. 85,

to' be constructed very small and to i be placedve'ry closely'together. This practice y; V

between thejacks has become'very' restricted, l

has continued to such a puintfthatlthespac'e so much so,that' the indicating means theart such as illustrated finmy former pat o ent, whereby the operator may at a, glance v ascertain whether. or notjthej called subscr'iber is obtainable, and to indicate t'o'thq operator whether the called-line was 'outof service or the instrument at the substation defective, or to advise the operator as to the "parties connectedtojthe said; line, has been, found difficult of implication; so" much 5S0";- vthat either the indicating mean's havebeenf", V in some cases'eliminated, or the use of the" same restricted. 'But where the' gadvanta'ges' I the jack stripshave been soweakened by'the 1 of the indicating means have been retained necessarydrilling'that strength and rigidity l have been sacr ficed breakages, etc. mul

'In other cases the switchboards have of necessity been made much larger than would otherwise need to-be the case, and the number of lines which a' single operator mayhave "access 'to through mult ple, Jack connections has been very much decreased, andln some of these cases, it has been necessary'to establish asuppleme'ntal B-[board to whichcalls time permitting the decrease in space between thejacks, thereby creating a; better 1 r operating condition, aswell as asaving of expensefor operating, and" initial cost, and

Vmainte'n'ance" of the switchboard. i The accompanying drawings will? more 1 clearly,

Figure 1"show's'a; front v ewjof asection of lack banks, '2 shows a front view enlarged, ofone of the jack strip's'. Fig. 3

front support of a jack bank, taken on line different indicating means preferably? shapedand 'L shapedlwhich [may be secured board.

view of the double pointed tack or staple which secures the superposed indicating means together and to the face of the switch,-

It. is obvious. that the jack banks may be of any structure, and the indicating means may be of varying shapes.

I provide as shown in Flgs. 1 and 3, a

series of apertures or drill holes a, a pair of which are placed between adjacent jacks, the drilling occurring on a line drawn perpendicular to the jack strips and midway between adjacent jacks, and each aperture being placed thereon at points approximately midway between the edges of the jackstrips and the edges of adjacent jacks,

thus providing the greatest amount of sup-1 aortin material about the said a ertures and weakening the ack strips the minimum amount possible. 7 The body of jack strips is commonly made of. hard rubber or other insulating material to insulate the thimbles of the jacks one from the other, and such material being somewhat weak, it is important that the drilling be thus restricted as much as possible. The staples are preferably constructed of round wire su tably bent as illustrated so that they may be re- V with a pair of indicators for the fourth jack,

and a pair of indicators for, the fifth jack all fastened together by the common means consisting of the double pointed tack or staple. This may indicate to the operator,

for example, that the line connected tothe' fourth jack is a party line having stations Also that the' line connected to jack 5 is a party line having stations #1 and #2 thereon V In Fig. 2, I show the same arran ement of indicators between. jacks 6 and I, and

also to the right of jack? between jack 7 and jack 8, I show additional indicators indicating in combination with the indicating means to the left of the jack that the jack 7 is connected to a party line having four parties thereon,

Jack 8 of Fig. 2 is shown covered by the indicator fastened by the staple t placed between jack 8 and jack' 9, the latter not being shown, the said indicating means being of the proper size and shape to entirely cover the aperture of jack 8, so .that the operators switchboard plug cannot gain access thereto.

phone connected thereto, and the color of theindicating means may be such as to in- The obvious indication to 1 the operator'is that such a line has no teledicate to the operatorwhether such a partys telephone has been removed, or

whether the line has been connected to a 7 nected. This indicating means is D shaped and may be reversed to covera-jack tothe left of the securing staple as shown in Fig.

2 at jack 8 just described, or it may be turned around to cover a jack to the right thereof as may be desired. A pair of such indicating means may be secured by a common staple,the; one extending to the right and the other to the left for adjacent jack indications. i

Again referring to Fig. 4 such indicating means as illustrated at L may be combined with the indicating means as shown at D, eitherof which is capable of the reversal, and thus to supply indications to jacks on either side of the securing means as T. The indicating means may be suitably colored to indicate whether the instruments are serviceable or have been removed for repairs, and also may supply other indications of widely varying character.

I am aware that the forms and colors of the indicating means mayj'be varied from the above described and illustrated ein-- bodiment of my invention, and also that the securing means may be varied, such as for instance, by replacing the single 'double pointed tack illustrated and described to single tacks or pins without" departing from my invention in its entirety. The forms illustrated and described being however, I think preferable for, the purpose, though some of the advantages thereofzmay be obtainedby using the same in part rather.v than in toto, but. what I claim as my'invention is I I V 1. In a telephone exchange switchboard, the combination. witha plurality of switchboard jacks, a supporting insulating strip therefor, a Hat indicator adapted to be secured to the said insulating material be tween a pair of adjacent jacks and having a portion extending in proximity to one of the said jacks to indicate an operative'condition of atelephone line connected to the said ack.

. 2. In a telephone switchboard, the combination with a plurality of telephone line. switchboard jacks arranged in strips, of openings therefor in the face of the switch-' board, a plurality of indicating means se-V cured between adjacent openings of a strip, and common securing means for the said indicating means. v 3. In a telephone switchboard, the combination with adjacent telephone line jack openings arranged K thereof, of a plurality of indicating means in strips in-the face Y for each of the said openings secured to said i bination witha strip of telephone'linejacks strip, and common securing/means for the i said indicating means- 4:. In a telephone switchboard, the combination with'an insulating face therefor,

of a pair of adjacent line jack openings therein, of an L shaped indicating means for each of the said openings, and common securing means for the said L shaped means to secure the last-named means to the insulating face of the switchboard.

5. In a telephone switchboard, the combination with an insulating face therefor,

of a plurality of jack openings therein, of

indicating means for the saidopenings extending from between the openings topoints over a portion of the openings, and common securing means for the lndicating means of adjacent openings.

7 6. In a telephone switchboard, the combination with an insulating face therefor,

of a jack opening therein, of an L shaped 'indlcating means for the said open1ng,,se-

curing means to fasten the said indicating means to the face of the. switchboard to the left or to the right ofthe said'opening, the said indicating means being reversible to have anarm thereof. extending to the right or to the left to .a point adjacent to said opening.

7. In a telephone switchboard, the com bination with an insulating face therefor, of line jack openings therein, of an L shaped semaphore adapted to be placed between a pair of the said openings, one arm of the said semaphore extendingabove or below a portlon of the opening located on ingsrto secure the said indicating the face of the switchboard.

thereforfhaving a commonface, openings.. "in the said face-for the said jacks, a pin rality of flat indicating means for the said openings, and U shaped securing means for indicating means fora pair of openings to secure the said indicating face of the switchboard. 1

10. In a telephone switchboard, the combination with a strip of telephone. line jacks I: l f therefor havingwa common face,"openi'ngs in the said faceyfor'the (saidjacksl-a plurality of 'L shaped indicating means'for'the.

said openings, and Ushaped securing means for. lndicatlng means for pair of openmeans to 11. In a telephone switchboard, the com bination with a face therefor, ofopenings' a in the said face for telephone line jacks, flat indicating means for'ione of the said openings extending'across the said, opening, r 1

and securing means for'the'said' indicating. means located to one 'side ofxthe opening.

12. In a" telephone. switchboard, thei com fifli bination of a 'jackbank, jack openings therein, a set voftwo semaphores. between each pair of ack. ope n1ngs,flat lll dlqatll 'lgji means for the said openings, and. double pointed tacks the prongs ofI-which are" adaptable for insertion in the said sets of apertures to secure the said "indicating means to the jack bank.

13. In a telephone switchboard, the .com

bination of a jack bank, jack openings therein, a 'set of two semaphores. between one side or the otheron the said semaphore,' .i

securing means located between the said openings to secure the said semaphore to' the face of the switchboard, saidsemaphore by its position above or below its associated secure the said indicating meansto thelface of said strips. .1

9. In a telephone switchboard, the comjack opening indicating .a' particular condition of the line assoclated therewlth.

8. In a telephone switchboard, the com. bination withja strip of telephone line jacks therefor, having a common face, openings in the said face for the said jacks, a plu v rality of flat indicating means for the said meansfor the said openings, and. double pointed tacks the prongs of whichrare adaptable for insertion in the said setsofapertures to secure thegsaid' indicating '1, each 'pairof jackopenings fiat indicating means to the jack bank, the said indicating means beingladaptablegfor interchangeable openings, and common securing means for indicating means for a pair of'openings to association with different openingsito the right orjleft, of the securingtacks'by re-"' M. HAUB QH 

